LETTER | I don't know how it feels to be an electoral candidate whose name is announced as "returned unopposed" and applauded by their boisterous supporters on nomination day.

I have never been in the shoes of those who have experienced lifting a trophy without even being in the competition but frankly speaking, if I do, I would feel dishonoured if I am called a "winner" when I didn't actually contest or compete with my other fellow contenders.

Maybe it's different in politics.

Winning a political position or an election might be a “privilege” when you are against no one but just yourself especially when you stand as an incumbent or a “defending champion”.

If you are a newcomer or a first-time electoral candidate, winning unopposed is a god-sent reward, especially when your opponents are old- timers and prominent but just because of their silly and makes-no-sense mistakes during nomination, they are out of the game.

Politics is a game. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. Regardless of how you win, once you win, you're a winner. It's just either you win earlier than the actual battle or you win later. Either way counts as long as you win.

Every politician wants and wishes to survive longer unless he or she is not ambitious about being in the top echelon and it is enough to just enjoy the remaining days of life with their pensions.

Politicians are all living, breathing humans and they know that nothing is immortal in life. So winning in the elections is key to “breathing” longer.

In football, even if you win 1-0 or 5-4, you still win. When you win for free, as when your opponents are absent, you still win.

When you win unopposed in elections, you should be “proud” because it's rare and unique to be an "unopposed winner" in politics. It could be made a nice bedtime story of your great grand-kids.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.